Frying machine



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,104

E. A. DENZ ET AL FRYING MACHI NE Filed March 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1[mi/42622.8 (farm: 7 49/47 10% 7725 QSTdLZIL 2%? E. A. DENZ ET AL FRYING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1927 Nov. 6, 1928.

Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IL A. DENZ, JAMES '1. KELLEY, AND JOHN E. TITUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;SAID JAMES '1. KELLEY AND JOHN E. TITUSCASSIGNORS T SAID EMIL A. DENZ.

FRYING MACHINE.

Application filed March 2, 1927. Serial No. 172,051.

This invention relates to improvements in frying or cooking machines orthe like and more especially to a machine for cooking potato chips.

In this invention a machine is provided having a pan in which thechannel starts at one end, runs up along one side, doubles back andforth across the width of the pan, and returns along the opposite sideto end or terminate adjacent to the starting end. A hopper having aslicer is mounted over the starting end to drop chips into the cookingliquid in the channel. At the opposite end is mounted a wheel which dipsthe oil out of the chan nel, and pours the oil in surges into the firstend of the channel underneath the slicer.

The wheel is also ada ted to catch and separate the potato chips rom theoil, and dump them over the side of the pan. Then, in order to preventthe chips from sticking in the channel a plurality of paddles orboosters are spaced along the length of the channel,

and the last booster is positioned close to the wheel so as to push thepotato chips against the same.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide a machine inwhich the timing can be closely and evenly controlled. This isaccomplished mainly by providing a nonendless channel, in which thecooking oil can be dipped out of one end in measured quantities andpoured into the starting end, so that the amount of oil flowing throughthe channel is positively controlled.

Another object is to provide a pan in "which the channels are soarranged that a considerable length of travel may be obtained withoutrequiring an especially large size machine.

Another object is to provide addles or boosters along the length of thec annel, especially near the bends so that the chips W111 not jam in thechannel. Another object is to provide a booster for moving the chipsinto the wheel. Other objects and advantages will become apparent fromthe following description, taken together with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the frymg machine.

Fig. 2 is a-plan view of the cooking pan, and the food handlingmechanism.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the pan and parts shown in Fig. 2 withportions broken away.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

partition walls 11 welded in place. The

walls 11 may or may not be spaced from the bottom of the pan, but it isconsidered that a better control of the flow may be obtained by joiningthe walls solidly to the bottom. The walls are so arranged that thechannel starts at the front of the machine, which is at the lower end ofFig. 2. The channel runs up along the left hand side in Fig. 2 to theopposite end of the pan, then doubles back and forth across the Width ofthe pan, and back to the front along the right hand side to terminateadjacent to the starting end.

The slicer shaft 12 is rotatably mounted in suitable brackets to extendup through the pan, and carries the slicer-knife disk 13 at the upperend. At the lower end of the shaft 12 is secured a large bevel gear 14,which is meshed by a small bevel pinion 15 on the shaft of the drivingmotor 16. The motor may be mounted in the frame 8 in any suitablemanner, or may be mounted on brackets which are attached to the pan 7.

The whole potatoes are dumped into the hopper 17, which is carried abovethe slicer by means of a lug 18, which rests on the upper end of theshaft 12, and a side bracket 19, which is secured to the side of the pan7. The hopper 17 is so positioned that the slices fall directly into thestarting end of the channel, which is slightly enlarged to preventthe'oil from boiling over.

The wheel 20 is positioned in the outer terminus of the channel and ismounted on the shaft 120, which is rotatably mounted in suitablebrackets 22 and 23, which are secured to the top and to the side,respectively, of

' the pan 7 The wheel 20 is driven from the slicer shaft 12 through ajack shaft 24;, which is rotatably mounted in the bearin member 25,which is secured to the top of the pan. The jack shaft is driven fromthe bevel gear 26, keyed to the shaft 12, and connected to the wheel 20through the reduction gears 27 and 28.

The interior of the wheel 20 is partitioned off to provide fourcompartments 30, each having an inlet 31 at the periphery, and an outlet32 on the inside of the wheel. The inlets 31 are covered by perforatedends 33 of the scoops 34, which are pivotally mounted on pins 35,secured in the side walls of the wheel. Suitable coil springs 36 arewound around the pins 35 to press the scoops inwardly against the wheel.The wheel rotates counter clock-wise as viewed in Fig. 3, so that thechips are caught in the pockets at the ends of the scoops as the oilflows into the compartments of the wheel. As the wheel rotates the oilcaught in a compartment flows into the center of the wheel, and outthrough the side outlet hole 32, when the compartment is inverted. Inthe inverted position of the compartment the outlet is directly over thestarting end of the channel, and the oil is flushed underneath theslicer disk and carries the chips out as fast as they are dropped,around the first bend of the channel.

As the scoops reach the upper left hand side of the wheel, as shown inFig. 3, the scoops are raised by means of a stationary cam 7, which isbolted to the side of the pan, and engages with projecting rollers orlugs 38, which are secured to the outer sides of the scoops 34. Thisprovision is made so that if there is any tendency for the chips tostick on the scoops, they are dislodged when the roller 38 strikesagainst the cam 37, and the scoop is also swung outwardly until thebottom 15 nearly vertical.

At times there is a tendency for the chips to collect and jam betweenthe side walls of the channel, as the oil continues to flow underneaththe chips. This stoppage is obviated by means of the boosters or paddles39, which are distributed along the length of the channel, preferablynear the bends, and serve to interrupt the flow at the bottom of thechannel, as well as to propel the chips along the surface. For the sakeof practical design in the machine shown the paddles 39 are mounted ontwo shafts 40 and 41, which turn in opposite directions, so that thethree addles mounted on the shaft 40 drive the c ips towards the back ofthe machine and the three paddles mounted on the shaft 41 drive thechips towards the front of the machine, the two sets of paddles being ofcourse positioned so that the oil is driven continuously from one end ofthe channel to the other. The two shafts 40 and 41 are rotatably mountedin suitable brackets 42, which are mounted on the sides of the pan 7,and are driven by means of spiral gears 43 on the shaft 44, which shaftis connected b the bevel pinion 45 to a bevel gear 46, whic is securedto the outer side of the wheel shaft 120.

The last paddle 139, mounted on the shaft 41, is positioned toco-operate with the wheel 20 in such manner that the end of the paddledips into the oil and drives the chips into the scoops 34 as the scoopsare moving up out of the oil. The shaft 41 is driven at four revolutionsto one revolution of the wheel 20, and accordingly the paddle 139registers with each of the scoops 34, in substantially the relationshown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6. By this arrangement the chips are movedpositively into each scoop in the same processional order in which theycome in the channel, so that some of the chips cannot remain in the oillonger than others. This enables cookin at a high rate without danger ofhaving adew of the chips burnt.

By providing a sufiicient number of paddles, and making the channelcontinuous, the flow could be regulated entirely by the paddles; but itis considered preferable to divide the channel or make it non-endless,and to dip the oil from one end of the channel to the other in measuredquantities to secure good control. The wheel 20 serves to regulate theflow in a ver positive manner, especially in the non-en less channel,and also is effective for drying the chips, which is necessary to keepthe chips from spoiling. The chips ride on the wheel for an appreciablelength of time, and, since the wheel is at a hi h temperature, the oildrains off before it hardens.

It is believed from the foregoing that the operation and advantages ofthis machine will be well understood. The slicer is driven continuouslyby the motor 16, and the wheel and the paddles are positively geared tothe slicer. The oil flows continuously through the channel, and thesurface of the oil is kept evenly prevented from sticking at any pointin the channel, and are removed from the oil and discharged as fast asthey reach the wheel 20.

covered with cooking chips. The chips are I Having thus described ourinvention our I claims are:

1. A cooking machine comprising a vessel having a non-endless meanderinchannel having the ends adjacently dlsposed,

means for depositing loose particles of food T into one end of thechannel, and dip ing means for dipping cooking-fluid out of the otherend and pouring the fluid in surges into the one end to start the foodto move through the channel and to regulate the flow of the fluid.

2. A cooking machine comprising a pan having a non-endless meanderingchannel having the ends adjacent, a wheel mounted in one end of thechannel adapted to di out cooking-oil and pour the oil out throu ii theside into the other end of the channe and adapted to catch and removethe cooked material from the oil.

3. A cooking machine comprising a pan the fluid, and a plurality ofpaddles mounted 10 along the channel to dip into the fluid to controlthe flow of the fluid and prevent the chips from jamming between thewalls of the channel.

Signed this 26th day of Feb., 1927.

' EMIL A. DENZ.

JAMES T. KELLEY. JOHN E. TITUS.

